Pile Support Device for a Pile Driver

ABSTRACT

A pile support device for a pile driver is disclosed. The pile support device can include a stationary pile guide operable to couple with a stationary portion of a pile driver. The pile support device can also include a pile holder coupled to the stationary pile guide. The pile holder can have a pile interface portion operable to interface with and support a pile while the pile is driven. The pile interface portion can be elevated above a ground surface and the pile can be exposed between the pile interface portion and the ground surface

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/772,008 filed on Nov. 27, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many building sites are located in areas with unstable soil, which must be remedied in order to permit construction on the sites. For larger construction (e.g., commercial) projects, piering systems and piles are often utilized to provide vertical support for building foundations. For residential and smaller commercial construction projects, unstable soil is typically excavated and replaced with new soil that is compacted in order to support the foundations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:

FIG. 1A is an illustration of a pile driver system with a driving mechanism in an elevated position, in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of the pile driver system of FIG. 1A with the driving mechanism in a lowered position.

FIG. 2A is a view from a top front perspective of a pile support device and a pile driver of the pile driver system of FIG. 1A; in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a view from a top front perspective of the pile support device and the pile driver of FIG. 2A without a pile.

FIG. 3 is view from a rear side perspective of the pile support device and the pile driver of the pile driver system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4 is top view of the pile support device and the pile driver of the pile driver system of FIG. 1A, with the driving mechanism omitted for clarity.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a pile for use in the pile driver system of FIG. 1A, in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a pile for use in the pile driver system of FIG. 1A, in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is an illustration of a starter segment for use with a pile in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B is an illustration of a starter segment for use with a pile in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a starter segment for use with a pile in accordance with yet another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is an illustration of a top cap for use with a pile in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is an illustration of a top cap for use with a pile in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purpose of illustration, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details can be made and are considered to be included herein. Accordingly, the following embodiments are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, any claims set forth. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

As used in this written description, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include express support for plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a layer” includes a plurality of such layers.

In this application, “comprises,” “comprising,” “containing” and “having” and the like can have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law and can mean “includes,” “including,” and the like, and are generally interpreted to be open ended terms. The terms “consisting of” or “consists of” are closed terms, and include only the components, structures, steps, or the like specifically listed in conjunction with such terms, as well as that which is in accordance with U.S. Patent law. “Consisting essentially of” or “consists essentially of” have the meaning generally ascribed to them by U.S. Patent law. In particular, such terms are generally closed terms, with the exception of allowing inclusion of additional items, materials, components, steps, or elements, that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics or function of the item(s) used in connection therewith. For example, trace elements present in a composition, but not affecting the compositions nature or characteristics would be permissible if present under the “consisting essentially of” language, even though not expressly recited in a list of items following such terminology. When using an open ended term, like “comprising” or “including,” in this written description it is understood that direct support should be afforded also to “consisting essentially of” language as well as “consisting of” language as if stated explicitly and vice versa.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that any terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Similarly, if a method is described herein as comprising a series of steps, the order of such steps as presented herein is not necessarily the only order in which such steps may be performed, and certain of the stated steps may possibly be omitted and/or certain other steps not described herein may possibly be added to the method.

The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electrical or nonelectrical manner, “Directly coupled” objects, structures, or elements are in physical contact with one another and are attached. Objects described herein as being “adjacent to” each other may be in physical contact with each other, in close proximity to each other, or in the same general region or area as each other, as appropriate for the context in which the phrase is used.

Occurrences of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in one aspect,” herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment or aspect.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.

As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint. Unless otherwise stated, use of the term “about” in accordance with a specific number or numerical range should also be understood to provide support for such numerical terms or range without the term “about”. For example, for the sake of convenience and brevity, a numerical range of “about 50 angstroms to about 80 angstroms” should also be understood to provide support for the range of “50 angstroms to 80 angstroms.” Furthermore, it is to be understood that in this specification support for actual numerical values is provided even when the term “about” is used therewith. For example, the recitation of “about” 30 should be construed as not only providing support for values a little above and a little below 30, but also for the actual numerical value of 30 as well.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.

Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.

This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.

Reference throughout this specification to “an example” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

An initial overview of the inventive concepts are provided below and then specific examples are described in further detail later. This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the examples more quickly, but is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the examples, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Although excavating and replacing unstable soil with new soil may be effective in providing a stable substrate for a building foundation, it is not without its drawbacks. For example, excavating and replacing unstable soil can represent a significant expense in the construction of buildings, which may be compounded by negatively impacting construction schedules. In addition, there is no guarantee that the new soil will provide adequate support for the foundation over the long term. Such weakening of the soil substrate may necessitate repairs to the foundation and other building structures, which typically includes lifting the foundation and sinking piering or piles beneath the foundation for support. Although installing piering system and piles may be preferred prior to construction, installing these may present an even larger upfront expense than excavating and replacing unstable soil.

Accordingly, a pile support device is disclosed that enables use of a small, mobile, and relatively inexpensive pile driver to install piering or piles for new construction projects for which such piering or piles would typically be cost prohibitive. The pile support device can include a stationary pile guide operable to couple with a stationary portion of a pile driver. The pile support device can also include a pile holder coupled to the stationary pile guide. The pile holder can have a pile interface portion operable to interface with and support a pile while the pile is driven. The pile interface portion can be elevated above a ground surface and the pile can be exposed between the pile interface portion and the ground surface.

To further describe the present technology, examples are now provided with reference to the figures. With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, one embodiment of a pile driver system 100 is illustrated. The pile driver system 100 can comprise a pile driver 101 and a pile 102 operably associated with the pile driver 101.

The pile driver 101 can be any suitable pile driver type or configuration in accordance with the principles disclosed herein. In general, the pile driver 101 includes a driving mechanism 110 used to apply a force to the pile 102 to advance the pile 102 into the ground 104. Any suitable type of driving mechanism 110 may be utilized, such as a hammer (e.g., an impact rail), a hydraulic cylinder, a lead screw, etc. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the driving mechanism 110 is a hammer, which is used to strike the pile 102. The impact of the hammer 110 striking the pile 102 causes the pile 102 to advance into the ground 104. Any suitable hammer type or style may be utilized, as well as any suitable type of power source or motive force. For example, the hammer 110 can be a drop hammer, a single-acting hammer, a double-acting hammer, a differential-acting hammer, a diesel hammer, or any other suitable type of hammer known in the art. The hammer 110 can be powered or receive motive force by air, steam, hydraulics, a spring, combustion, electricity, or any other suitable power source or motive force known in the art. In one example, the hammer 110 is simply dropped and accelerated under the influence of gravity with no external power source or motive force accelerating the hammer toward the pile 102. A hydraulic cylinder or lead screw type of driving mechanism may exert a force on the pile 102 such that the pile 102 is continuously advanced into the ground 104 for the stroke length of the hydraulic cylinder or lead screw. In one aspect, the pile driver 101 can be a “miniature” pile driver or post driver often mounted on a tractor or a skid-steer 105 and utilize the hydraulics or another power take-off from the tractor or skid-steer to power operation. Representative, non-limiting examples are offered by Shaver Manufacturing Company of Graettinger, Iowa. Such pile drivers are typically highly mobile when attached to tractors or skid-steers and relatively inexpensive to own and operate.

As shown in the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the driving mechanism 110 can be movable (e.g., slidably mounted) on a stationary portion 111 (e.g., a rail guide or slide). The stationary portion 111 is maintained in a fixed relationship with the ground 104 during operation, and the driving mechanism 110 is moved along the stationary portion 111 (e.g., a hammer or impact rail being elevated and dropped), as needed, to drive the pile 102 into the ground 104.

The pile 102 can include multiple segments, sections, or portions 102 a, 102 b that can be added to increase the length of the pile 102 as the pile 102 is driven or advanced into the ground 104. Any suitable multi-segment or section type of pile can be utilized, such as piles 102′, 102″ shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and discussed in more detail below. The pile 102 can be of any suitable material and construction, such as steel tubulars or pipes.

With further reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the pile driver 101 can include a pile support device 103, which can be operably coupled with the stationary portion 111 of the pile driver 101. A view from a top front perspective of the pile support device 103 and the pile driver 101 is shown in FIG. 2A (with the pile 102) and FIG. 2B (without the pile 102). A view from a rear side perspective of the pile support device 103 and the pile driver 101 is shown in FIG. 3. A top view of the pile support device 103 and the pile driver 101 is shown in FIG. 4 (the driving mechanism 110 has been omitted for clarity).

In one aspect, the pile support device 103 can include one or more stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b coupled with the stationary portion 111 of the pile driver 101. The stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can be coupled with the stationary portion 111 in any suitable manner known in the art, such as with fasteners, welds, rivets, etc. Thus, the pile support device 103 can be removably attachable to the pile driver 101 or constructed as part of the pile driver 101, which may render at least some of the component parts of the pile support device 103 permanently affixed to, or integrally formed with, the stationary portion 111 of the pile driver 101.

The pile support device 103 can also include one or more pile holders 131 a, 131 b coupled to the respective stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. The pile holders 131 a, 131 b as positioned by the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can support the pile 102 at a desired location relative to the driving mechanism 110. The stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can have any suitable configuration to couple with and support the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. In the illustrated example, the driving mechanism 110 is slidably coupled to the stationary portion 111 and has a lower portion 112 forming a channel 113 with a rear wall 114 a and side walls 114 b, 114 c about the pile 102, such that the pile 102 is exposed toward a front side 115 a (see FIG. 3) of the driving mechanism 110. In this case, the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can be configured to couple with the stationary portion 111 on a back side 115 b (see FIG. 3) of the driving mechanism 110 and extend laterally about (e.g., “reach around”) the driving mechanism 110 to couple with the pile holders 131 a, 131 b on the front side 115 a of the driving mechanism 110.

It should be noted that the pile support device 103 and the stationary portion 111 of the pile driver 101 remain stationary on or relative to the ground 104 during the pile driving process, while the driving mechanism 110 (or at least a portion thereof) moves relative to the ground during the pile driving process.

In one aspect, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can be adjustable to properly position the pile holders 131 a, 131 b (and therefore the pile 102) relative to the driving mechanism 110. For example, the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b can include brackets 150-152. The bracket 150 can be coupled to (e.g., direct interface) or otherwise associated with the stationary portion 111. The bracket 151 can be coupled to or otherwise associated with the pile holders 131 a, 131 b, The bracket 152 can be adjustably positioned relative to the brackets 151, 152 and secured by any suitable mechanism, such as a fastener. The positional adjustment between the brackets 150, 152 can adjust a lateral position of the pile holders 131 a, 131 b relative to the driving mechanism 110. The positional adjustment between the brackets 151, 152 can adjust a fore/aft position of the pile holders 131 a, 131 b relative to the driving mechanism 110. In one aspect, the bracket 150 can be adjustably positioned relative to the stationary portion 111, which can provide proper rearward clearance between the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b and the driving mechanism 110 as well as affect the fore/aft position of the pile holders 131 a, 131 b relative to the driving mechanism 110.

The pile support device 103 can also include a support beam 134 coupled to the pile holders 131 a, 131 b to maintain the pile holders 131 a, 131 b at a fixed relationship to one another. In one aspect, the support beam 134 can be operable to contact and rest upon the ground surface to provide support for the pile holders 131 a, 131 b and/or the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. In this way, the support beam 134 can serve to maintain the pile 102 in place while the pile 102 is driven into the ground. In addition, or as an alternative, the support beam 134 can be coupled to the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. Thus, the support beam 102 can also tie the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b together and provide additional structural support for the pile support device 103. The support beam 134 can have any suitable configuration (e.g., a rail) and can have any suitable cross-section (e.g., a C-beam, an I-beam, etc.)

The pile holders 131 a, 131 b can have respective pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b operable to interface with and support the pile 102 above the ground 104 while the pile 102 is driven. In one aspect, the respective pairs of pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b can entirely surround the pile 102 to capture the pile 102 and firmly hold the pile 102 in place while the pile 102 is driven. In another aspect, the pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b can be located entirely above the ground 104 to interface with and support the pile 102 without extending below the ground surface. The pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b can have any suitable shape or configuration for interfacing with and supporting the pile 102 while the pile 102 is being driven into the ground 104. In the illustrated example, the pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b have a semicircular or U-shape configuration that combine to fit closely about a circumference of the tubular pile 102. In another example, the interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b can have a V-shape configuration that may contact the tubular pile 102 at two discrete locations per side.

In one aspect, shown in FIG. 4, the interface portions 132 a, 132 b can be supported by one or more backing plates 140-142. The backing plates 140-142 may be coupled to one another to form a cradle or support for the respective interface portions 132 a, 132 b. The backing plates 140-142 can be coupled to the respective interface portions 132 a, 132 b in any suitable manner, such as with a weld. The backing plates 140-142 can also be coupled to the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b to couple the interface portions 132 a, 132 b to the respective stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. The backing plates 140-142 can be coupled to one another and to the respective interface portions 132 a, 132 b in any suitable manner, such as with a weld. Similarly, the interface portions 133 a, 133 b can be supported by a backing plate 143 coupled to the interface portions 133 a, 133 b by stand-offs 144, 145. The stand-offs 144, 145 can be configured to properly position the interface portions 133 a, 133 b relative to the respective interface portions 132 a, 132 b. The backing plate 143 and the stand-offs 144, 145 can be coupled to one another and to the respective interface portions 133 a, 133 b in any suitable manner, such as with a weld.

In one aspect, the pile interface portions 132 a, 133 a and 132 b, 133 b can provide adjustability to accommodate different pile sizes or diameters. For example, the pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b can be fixed pile interfaces and the pile interface portions 133 a, 133 b can be adjustable pile interfaces that are selectively positionable relative to the respective fixed pile interfaces 132 a, 132 b to fit different pile sizes. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, the backing plate 143 associated with the adjustable pile interface portions 133 a, 133 b can be coupled to the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b (e.g., the bracket 151) in a manner that facilitates adjustable positioning fore/aft relative to the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. This adjustability can be implemented in any suitable manner, such as utilizing one or more spacers 146 between the backing plate 143 and the stationary pile guides 130 a, 130 b. The adjustable pile interface portions 133 a, 133 b can also be selectively removed from the fixed pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b to facilitate placing or removing sections or segments of the pile 102, as desired.

In one aspect, at least one of the pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b can be elevated above a surface of the ground 104 and the pile 102 can be exposed between the at least one pile interface portion 132 a, 132 b and the surface of the ground 104. Thus, the pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b can provide relatively small, discrete interfacing locations with the pile 102 in order to provide support for the pile 102 while the pile 102 is being driven into the ground. Such a configuration can provide adequate structural support for the pile 102, while avoiding excessive friction that may be present between the pile 102 and the pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b as the pile 102 moves relative to the pile interface portions 132 a, 132 b.

It should be recognized that one or more stabilizers (not shown) may be included, as desired, to provide additional stabilizing support to the pile driver system 100. Such stabilizers can be configured as legs that can be lowered for pile driver use or raised for transport.

As mentioned above, multi-segment or section type of piles can be driven using the technology disclosed herein. For example, the pile 102′ of FIG. 5 has an interlinking pipe configuration, where outer pipes 120 and inner pipes 121 are vertically overlapped to provide a double-walled pile of increased strength and capacity. The pile 102″ of FIG. 6 includes pile segments 122 that include coupling inserts 123 on one end configured to fit within the opposite end of a similar, adjacent pile segment.

To install the pile 102′, a starter segment 160 a (FIG. 7A) or 160 b (FIG. 7B) may be selected. The starter segments 160 a, 160 b include an inner pipe portion 161 a, 161 b and an outer pipe portion 162 a, 162 b, respectively, mounted on a friction reducing plate 163. The inner pipe portion 161 a of starter segment 160 a is configured shorter than the outer pipe portion 162 a by an amount configured to provide the desired overlap (e.g., roughly half the length of the inner and outer segments to be installed). The inner pipe portion 161 b of starter segment 160 b is configured longer than the outer pipe portion 162 b by an amount configured to provide the desired overlap. Thus, the starter segment 160 a is configured to first receive an inner pipe segment (e.g., inner pipe 121 of FIG. 5), while the starter segment 160 b is configured to first receive an outer pipe segment (e.g., outer pipe 120 of FIG. 5). To install the pile 102″, a starter segment 160 c (FIG. 8) may be selected. The starter segment 160 c includes only a single pipe portion 162 c mounted on a friction reducing plate 163. The pipe portion 162 c is configured to receive the insert 123 of the pile segment 122 of FIG. 6. The friction reducing plate 163 has a diameter greater than the outer pipe portions 162 a-c to make a larger diameter hole in the ground than the outer pipe portions 162 a-c, thereby reducing skin friction on the pile.

The chosen starter segment 160 a-c can be driven into the ground using the pile driver 101. The starter segment 160 a-c can be driven deep enough that the top of the starter segment 160 a-c sits below the lower pile holder 131 a, which can now be brought into position along with the rest of the pile support device 103, as described above, to stabilize additional pile segments as they are driven into the ground. Alternatively, the pile support device 103 can be initially in place about the starter segment 160 a-c prior to driving the starter segment 160 a-c into the ground. Successive pile segments can be added and the pile advanced deeper into the ground while supported by the pile support device 103 until the desired depth and/or load capacity has been achieved.

Although the driving mechanism 110 may interface directly with a pile, top caps 164 a (FIG. 9A) and 164 b (FIG. 9B) are provided for protecting the end of a pile while being driven into the ground. For example, the top cap 164 a can include a cap insert 165 a extending from a cap plate 166. The cap plate can cover the top of a pile and the cap insert 165 a can be configured to fit within a pile segment or section (e.g., outer pipe 120 of FIG. 5 or pile segment 122 of FIG. 6). The top cap 164 b can include a cap side wall 165 b extending from a cap plate 166. The cap side wall 165 b can be configured to fit over a pile segment or section (e.g., inner pipe 121 of FIG. 5). In one aspect, the length of the cap side wall 165 b can be configured to contact an outer pipe (e.g., outer pipe 120 of FIG. 5), thus transferring force through the outer wall of a pile (e.g., the pile 102′ of FIG. 5). In another aspect, the length of the cap side wall 165 b can be configured such that the cap plate 166 and the cap side wall 165 b contact an inner pipe and an outer pipe (e.g., inner pipe 121 and outer pipe 120 of FIG. 5) at the same time. This may be beneficial in avoiding damage to the friction reducing plate 163 by loading an outer portion of the plate as opposed to loading only an inner portion of the plate.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method driving a pile is disclosed. The method can comprise positioning a portion of a pile in a pile holder, the pile holder being coupled to a stationary portion of a pile driver, the pile holder having a pile interface portion operable to interface with and support the pile while the pile is driven, wherein the pile interface portion is elevated above a ground surface and the pile is exposed between the pile interface portion and the ground surface, Additionally, the method can comprise driving the pile with a driving mechanism of the pile driver. It is noted that no specific order is required in this method, though generally in one embodiment, these method steps can be carried out sequentially.

In one aspect of the method, the pile holder can be coupled to the stationary portion of the pile driver via a stationary pile guide. In another aspect of the method, the driving mechanism can be movably coupled to the stationary portion, and the stationary pile guide can be coupled with the stationary portion on a back side of a driving mechanism of the pile driver and extends laterally about the driving mechanism to couple with the pile holder on a front side of the driving mechanism. In another aspect of the method, the pile holder can comprise first and second pile holders, and the stationary pile guide can comprise a first stationary pile guide coupled to the first pile holder and a second stationary pile guide coupled to the second pile holder. In one aspect, the method can further comprise adjusting an adjustable pile interface of the pile interface portion relative to a fixed pile interface of the pile interface portion to accommodate a size of the pile. In one aspect of the method, the driving mechanism comprises a hammer.

Reference was made to the examples illustrated in the drawings and specific language was used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the technology is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the features illustrated herein and additional applications of the examples as illustrated herein are to be considered within the scope of the description.

Although the disclosure may not expressly disclose that some embodiments or features described herein may be combined with other embodiments or features described herein, this disclosure should be read to describe any such combinations that would be practicable by one of ordinary skill in the art. The user of “or” in this disclosure should be understood to mean non-exclusive or, i.e., “and/or,” unless otherwise indicated herein.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples. In the preceding description, numerous specific details were provided, such as examples of various configurations to provide a thorough understanding of examples of the described technology. It will be recognized, however, that the technology may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, devices, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the technology.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or operations, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features and operations described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the described technology. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pile support device for a pile driver, comprising: a stationary pile guide operable to couple with a stationary portion of a pile driver; and a pile holder coupled to the stationary pile guide, the pile holder having a pile interface portion operable to interface with and support a pile while the pile is driven, wherein the pile interface portion is elevated above a ground surface and the pile is exposed between the pile interface portion and the ground surface.
 2. The pile support device of claim 1, herein the pile holder comprises first and second pile holders.
 3. The pile support device of claim 2, wherein the stationary pile guide comprises a first stationary pile guide coupled to the first pile holder and a second stationary pile guide coupled to the second pile holder.
 4. The pile support device of claim 2, further comprising a support beam coupled to the first and second pile holders to maintain the first and second pile holders at a fixed relationship to one another.
 5. The pile support device of claim 4, wherein the support beam is operable to contact and rest upon the ground surface to provide support for the first and second pile holders.
 6. The pile support device of claim 1, wherein the pile interface portion comprises a fixed pile interface and an adjustable pile interface selectively positionable relative to the fixed pile interface to accommodate different pile sizes.
 7. The pile support device of claim 1, wherein the stationary pile guide is configured to couple with the stationary portion on a back side of a driving mechanism of the pile driver and extend laterally about the driving mechanism to couple with the pile holder on a front side of the driving mechanism.
 8. A pile driver comprising the pile support device of claim 1 operably coupled with a stationary portion of the pile driver.
 9. The pile driver of claim 8, further comprising a driving mechanism movably coupled to the stationary portion.
 10. The pile driver of claim 9, wherein the stationary pile guide is coupled with the stationary portion on a back side of the driving mechanism and extends laterally about the driving mechanism to couple with the pile holder on a front side of the driving mechanism.
 11. The pile driver of claim 9, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a hammer.
 12. The pile driver of claim 8, wherein the pile support device is formed as part of the pile driver.
 13. A pile driver system, comprising a pile operably associated with the pile driver of claim
 8. 14. The pile driver system of claim 13, wherein pile comprises a plurality of pile segments.
 15. A method for driving a pile, comprising: positioning a portion of a pile in a pile holder, the pile holder being coupled to a stationary portion of a pile driver, the pile holder having a pile interface portion operable to interface with and support the pile while the pile is driven, wherein the pile interface portion is elevated above a ground surface and the pile is exposed between the pile interface portion and the ground surface; and driving the pile with a driving mechanism of the pile driver.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pile holder is coupled to the stationary portion of the pile driver via a stationary pile guide.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the driving mechanism is movably coupled to the stationary portion, and the stationary pile guide is coupled with the stationary portion on a back side of a driving mechanism of the pile driver and extends laterally about the driving mechanism to couple with the pile holder on a front side of the driving mechanism.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pile holder comprises first and second pile holders, and the stationary pile guide comprises a first stationary pile guide coupled to the first pile holder and a second stationary pile guide coupled to the second pile holder.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting an adjustable pile interface of the pile interface portion relative to a fixed pile interface of the pile interface portion to accommodate a size of the pile.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a hammer. 